the mostefficient useof a bullet :kill a doctor,kill hundreds.

As a coalition of countries led by Saudi Arabia bombs thousands of civilians in Yemen and as the Syrian population is massacred, healthcare workers are target of attacks despite the principles of international humanitarian law.

The international community fails to react.

The bombing of hospitals has become commonplace. So has the – deliberate – slaughter of doctors, nurses, stretcher bearers and midwives, whatever their nationality.

The attackers know full well that one bullet to a doctor’s head kills dozens, hundreds of people.

A failure to act today, tolerating the intolerable, means being judged by History tomorrow.

International humanitarian law is being flouted on a daily basis.In areas that are suffering, doctors and nursing staff are now being targeted.

This is despite the fact that on 3 May 2016, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution strongly condemning acts of violence, attacks and threats directed at ill and injured patients, nursing staff, humanitarian workers and medical facilities.

More than a year after, nothing has changed. The international community is failing to honour its commitments. More serious yet is the fact that countries which are permanent members of the Security Council are directly or indirectly participating in violating these laws by providing military support and selling arms to certain States where international humanitarian law is disregarded.

Doctors of the World is today appealing to the Member States of the United Nations to: